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Tuesday, July 21, 2009

German Pancake/Dutch Baby with Apricot and Raspberry

Steven and I bought a half flat of the biggest raspberries we'd ever seen from our local berry stand. We're lucky enough to live blocks away from the only Seattle location of the Spooner Farms berry stand. One more reason why I love our neighborhood. Raspberry season is coming to a close in Washington state and they will eventually be replaced by blueberries and blackberries. If you live in the North Seattle area or close to any of the other locations, I recommend you check out Spooner Farms and stock up on these amazing raspberries while you still can.

Between the car ride home and breakfast, we polished off one half pint. Any suggestions for what I should do with the remaining 5 half pints?

Steven and I aren’t big breakfast people but when I do make breakfast, I go all out. Bacon and eggs usually make an appearance, sometimes I do waffles, sometimes pancakes, and sometimes I get crazy and put everything together. The German pancake, also called Dutch Baby, is like a crepe crossed with a popover. It's ridiculously easy to make (the batter is made in under 2 minutes in a blender) and is always a crowd pleaser. Watching the pancake puff up before your very eyes is always entertaining. You can add fresh fruit to the batter, add it on top after baking ,or go crazy and do both! Then you have the option of topping it with the more traditional squeeze of fresh lemon juice and powdered sugar or simply drizzle on the maple syrup, for the syrup lovers.

If you're using a cast iron skillet, you'll need to preheat it longer than a cake pan. Put the skillet into the oven before turning it on and let it preheat in the oven for a good 20 minutes. This will give you enough time to make some coffee, get your ingredients together, and set up the blender.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and put a cast iron skillet (if using) into the oven to heat up.

After about 15 - 20 minutes (or longer if your oven is slow), the skillet should be hot. Add the butter to the skillet and return it to the oven. If you're using a cake pan, add the butter to the cake pan and put it into the oven.

Add 3 eggs and the sugar to blender and blend on low speed for 1 minutes. The eggs should be light colored and bubbly. Then add the flour and milk and blend for 10 seconds, until evenly mixed.

Take the skillet or cake pan out of the oven and make sure the butter has completely melted. Pour the batter into the hot skillet or pan and scatter the fruit on top of the batter if using.

Bake at 425 degrees F for 18 - 22 minutes, or until the sides and middle have puffed up and browned.

Serve with fresh fruit and a lemon slice and powdered sugar or maple syrup.

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I made this for a Christmas brunch & it quickly became my favorite brunch item! I am a busy person & this was right up my alley as it is so easy & delicious! The great thing about this; it is beyond the normal breakfast & brunch foods (pancakes, eggs, bacon, french toast, rinse & repeat!). You have a wonderful blog & I look forward to following you.